Strength of Heart
by doggieearlover
Summary: Post Manga Chapter 558. A day alone together turns into an unexpected test of strength for Kagome.


Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. I just enjoy making them play with each other.

AN: This was written as the kiriban for my 32123 viewer at deviantART. It was claimed by InuHanyouNikkie. Thanks so much to inufan625 for the beta job.

Prompt from InuHanyouNikkie: _we've always seen InuYasha give Kagome a piggyback when she is tired/and/or wounded... what kind of twist would it be that she gives him (in hanyou form) a piggyback to get him(unconscious/wounded) to safety fast. Maybe have him come to enough to be aware of what she is doing._

**Strength of Heart**

Kagome couldn't help but to smile as she looked into InuYasha's eyes and saw the love he held for her radiating from them as he moved over her. He had brought her to the overlook that he had retreated to so often while she was away when he wanted to think or to be alone. They were surrounded by beauty and could see the entire valley from up here. However, right now she could see only the soft grass and the butterflies that lazily fluttered from one blossom to the next of the wildflowers waving around them.

After three years apart and completing high school, Kagome had finally realized what was missing from her life and what she truly wanted – to be reunited with InuYasha. The well had reopened for her heart's desire, and she had returned to the Feudal Era to find him waiting.

They were now making their lives together, and she was learning the skills to become the village miko as Kaede grew older. But for today, InuYasha had brought her here to his favorite place so that they could be alone for a little while without interruptions from Miroku or Sango, or the couple's three children or Shippou.

Kaede seemed to be the only one who had the good sense to try and permit the still newlywed couple to have some time to themselves, hence her agreement to allow InuYasha to have his wife to himself for a day. It was with little protest that Kagome climbed on his back once again and then held on to see where he was taking her.

They had eaten the picnic lunch that InuYasha had packed, and at some point they had progressed from kissing to making love in the thick lush grass. He had lowered his mouth to hers, and their tongues were dueling for dominance as he emptied himself into her when it happened.

The hanyou normally patrolled the entire area and kept it free from youkai of all kinds that could be considered a threat to the village. However, even he couldn't control the skies and keep it free of those that chose to fly by. As he made love to the miko, a pair of lower youkai that had somehow escaped from being sucked in by Naraku passed over. They couldn't resist the sight of what they thought were two helpless humans below them, and they attacked.

Their jyaki was so weak that the lovers did not feel their approach until they were almost upon them. The quicker of the two youkai reached the hanyou and drove its fangs into his back just as Kagome cried out, "InuYasha!"

"Arrrgggh!" the hanyou shouted angrily as he wrenched himself out of the jaws of the serpentine demon. He saw the second of the duo aiming for Kagome, and he leapt to throw himself over her, putting him directly in-between her body and another set of poisonous fangs.

Kagome had been trying to reach her bow and quiver when she found herself smashed to the ground again. She didn't miss InuYasha's agonized cry as a second set of fangs were driven into his already wounded back and pulled him away.

More angry than she'd ever felt before, Kagome used all of her strength to dive for her bow and arrows. She grabbed an arrow out of the quiver with one hand as she grasped her bow in the other. She nocked it in one smooth motion before quickly drawing and releasing it. The miko aimed first at the youkai that had InuYasha in its jaws and was shaking him like a rag doll. It didn't even know what hit it as it was reduced to dust, and InuYasha plummeted to the ground. Another arrow quickly followed to hit the second of the pair, and it too disappeared in an explosion of bright pink.

She ran to the hanyou, who was lying unconscious on the ground. Gingerly rolling him over to survey the damage on his back, she whispered, "Oh, InuYasha."

The miko grabbed the water they had brought with them and used it to clean his back as best she could. However, the green that still seeped from the wounds told her he'd been poisoned. "I've got to get you home. All of my herbs that can help you are there."

She hurriedly pulled on her clothing before struggling with InuYasha's limp body to at least pull his hakama on and tie it in place. His back had so many punctures and tears that she didn't want to further aggravate them by trying to continue dressing him, so she tied his juban around her waist and pulled his firerat on over her own kosode.

Kagome knew she'd have to leave most of what they brought with them behind, but she didn't dare leave her bow and quiver or Tessaiga. Wondering why he didn't transform since it wasn't actually on him when he was attacked, she carefully tied the weapon to his hakama. Tugging the sword to make certain it was secure, she then swung her bow and quiver over her shoulder, though she draped them across her chest rather than her back.

She never would quite remember what she did next, or how she did it, but she managed to pull the unconscious hanyou onto her back. Determined to get her injured husband home, she carefully started her slow trek back to their hut.

The miko knew what had taken InuYasha half an hour was going to take her all afternoon. Still, she didn't dare stop. Kagome was afraid if she halted for even a moment to rest, she might not be able to continue. Gritting her teeth and shifting her grip on his legs, she kept going. "One step at a time. You can do this, Kagome," she said to herself.

"You talking to yourself now?" InuYasha asked in a hoarse voice.

"InuYasha, you're awake. Would you help me a little and hold on?" Kagome asked without pausing. "I've got to get you home."

The semi-conscious hanyou whose arms were draped over her shoulders clasped his hands together as he nuzzled her neck. "Mmmmm, what a funny dream. Don't drop me, wench." He slipped back out of consciousness and fell slack against her back again. Fortunately, he'd managed to wrap his hands in the ties of her hakama first. They remained there to hold his arms in place, making it a little easier to keep from dropping him.

She was drenched in sweat and every muscle in her body was shaking, but she managed to make it to the clearing behind their home. Her adrenalin suddenly evaporated at the sight of their hut and she fell to her knees, unable to walk a step further. She was panting as she tried to untangle the hanyou's hands from the ties of her hakama. She realized that her eyesight was going fuzzy as she crashed forward to the ground. Then everything went black.

She woke to the smell of stew cooking over the fire pit. She slowly opened her eyes and then blinked to clear her vision and tried to remember what had happened. "InuYasha!" she shouted and bolted upright. However, her sudden movement made her so dizzy that she promptly fell back again.

When she opened her eyes once more, it was to concerned amber ones gazing back at them. "You're okay," she said in a rasping voice.

"Thanks to you, but drink this," InuYasha responded as he assisted her to sit up and held a cup of water to her lips. "Not too fast."

As she drank, Kaede joined InuYasha at her side. "I'm glad to see you are awake, child."

"What happened?" the younger miko asked as InuYasha helped her lie back down.

Kaede chuckled. "That's what we wanted to ask you, but apparently you managed to carry InuYasha home from wherever you two were. Shippou found you passed out and ran to fetch the Houshi and me. It took both of us to get you separated and into the hut. Your husband came to long enough to tell us he'd Kaze no Kizu both of us if we didn't take care of you first. I couldn't find a mark on you and determined that you must have collapsed from exhaustion, rather than wounds.

"InuYasha was a different story, however. We had to make a poultice to put on his wounds to draw out the poison, and then convince him to lie still long enough for us to do so. He only relented when Houshi said it was clear that you had carried him all of that way for you to do the same thing. It would be a shame if you pushed yourself into unconsciousness for naught."

They heard the hanyou mutter, "No worse than Sesshomaru's poison."

"It made you pass out, and that scared me," Kagome admitted. "Thanks, Kaede."

"Houshi is who you really need to thank. I may have made the poultice, but it was he who convinced your stubborn hanyou to let us treat him," the old miko responded.

InuYasha rubbed the back of his head. "Miroku didn't happen to finish convincing me with his staff, did he?"

Kaede chuckled. "Well, you are too obstinate for your own good. I think I will go and let the others know that you are both awake now. They'll be relieved." She clamored to her feet and made her way out of the hut.

"Could I have some more water?" Kagome asked softly.

InuYasha nodded and filled a cup before settling by her side and helping her sit back up. With one arm wrapped around her as she nestled against his shoulder, he steadied her hand holding the cup with the other as she drank. When she had enough he set it down and nuzzled her cheek.

"You didn't have to," he practically whispered in her ear. "You could have left me and gone for help."

Kagome shook her head. "You were helpless, unconscious. I couldn't leave you, but I couldn't treat you there. I had to get you home."

"But you could've been hurt," he argued. "Look what happened."

"A minor price to pay. I'm fine." She smiled.

"What are you smiling about, wench?" the hanyou tried to sound irate, but failed miserably.

"All those times you carried me, I finally get to repay the favor, and all you do is complain," she teased.

"But… you don't weigh hardly anything. How did you do it?" InuYasha asked. "It should have been impossible."

"I know, but I had to. I don't know how I did it – I just did," the miko answered honestly. "It's amazing what you can do when you love someone."

"You don't have to tell me that," the hanyou responded before he captured her lips with his.

_finis_


End file.
